Before I turned 18
by smileallthetime
Summary: This is an edited version of my old story. Evelyn was a Gamemaker's daughter. She was a natural pick for the final Hunger Games. Tethered to her partner, how will she survive the games? If only her birthday had been one week sooner... I do not own any of the characters/places from the Hunger Games


**Chapter 1: Chapter 1**

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"I'll be fine," that was the first of many lies I would tell in these games. I knew the second they called my name, I wasn't coming home. It didn't matter how hard I fought or well I hid. I wasn't going to win. It just wasn't in the cards for me. I hugged my mom and my sisters goodbye without much fuss on either end. They didn't want to upset me and I didn't want to upset them. My mother pushed the hair out of my face. I thought she was going to give me some words of wisdom, but instead she turned on her heel and left without a word. I knew in that moment she wasn't planning on seeing me in person ever again. My poor mother. She had lost her husband and now her eldest child. I genuinely believe that my mother had no clue why all of these bad things kept happening to her. In her mind, the Revolution was wrong. I can't blame her, even though I want to. She would never know any better.

I was a player in the final Hunger Games because my father was a Gamemaker. I did my best to look happy as I walked past a slew of cameras,guided by a man in a strange suit. All of the districts hated me- they hated all of the Capitol's children. My father had died in the Revolution, on the wrong side of course. I swear he wasn't a bad man just part of a bad thing. In fact he was a very kind man never raising his voice like some parents did. Instead, he mostly kept to himself. He was always wrapped up in the next set of games to remember he had a wife and daughters.

I remember being very little and getting worked up over the fights going on the tv because they frightened me. My father would tell me that all of the kids went to better places and there was nothing to worry about. I suppose after seventeen years of seeing a bloodpath on your television play out, you get numb to it. Besides, Capitol children aren't supposed to think like that.

"Evelyn?" I had been so lost in thought that I hadn't even realized we had reached the car. Someone-an avox- had opened the door for me while another gentlemen gently pushed me into the car. Everything around me flew by quickly beside my window- a metaphor for the rest of my life. Before I had even had chance to catch my breath, I was guided into the Training Center. These games were going to be a little bit different. We were going to be paired up with an ally. If you left your ally's side during the game, you were automatically done for. In my opinion- this was worse. To be tethered to someone who could bring me down while having no choice in the matter was certain death. We stopped at a set of large doors.

"You have to go in alone Miss," a tall serious man that reminded me of my father said to me. I don't know what came over me, later I would tell the story that I wanted to make him feel guilty, but really I think it was because he smelled just like my father-that I hugged him. I felt him stiffen then wrap his arms around me. I let go without a word and pushed open the tall doors.

Inside were twenty-three of the Capitol's children. That was a strange notion to me. I was a child even though I was seventeen. I looked fifteen on a good day but I felt I was mature beyond my years. It dawned on me that my eighteenth birthday would be celebrated in the arena. I wondered if I could live that long. Just long enough to turn eighteen. What a stroke of bad luck. I looked around the room and was relieved to find that there was no one I was close to. Everyone stared at me, clearly sizing me up.

"Go ahead!" I wanted to scream at them, but instead I just took the one empty seat that had my name painted on the back. I absentmindedly wondered how they got the paint to dry so fast. My attention was drawn to the front of the room when a man I didn't recognize stepped onto the stage as the quiet chatter hushed.

"Hello, and welcome to the 76th and Final Hunger Games, May the odds be ever in your favor," there must have been cameras trained on everyone's face to catch any reaction. All of Panem would be watching. I kept my face as straight and emotionless as I could. "I will now pair you up and present you to your mentors." There was a flurry of excitement- no one knew we were getting mentors. Everything was happening so fast, or maybe it just felt that way. Onto the stage walked the remaining Victors, Plutarch and some of the surviving gamemakers. I silently prayed to get a gamemaker. One, they wouldn't hate me for being a child of the Capitol and two, they designed the games.

The man whose name I neglected to retain started calling names. As they got called each displayed a prominent reaction on their face. Some were thrilled, some angry, some indescribable but I was smart enough to know these reactions were for the cameras.

"Evelyn Mandar and James Lucas," I rose from seat and began to walk towards the stage. I tried to avoid looking at my partner, "Your mentor will be," there was a pause that seemed to last forever, "Peeta Mellark." Shit. We were then ushered offstage into a huge room- alone. I stole a quick glance at my partner- he was huge. James was 6 foot 3 and could easily life 300 lbs- I would find that out the hard way. I was 5 foot 2 and was lucky if I could lift 50 lbs. Peeta was reading a clipboard in front of him so I took the opportunity to study his features. He was strong, stocky but his face was relaxed giving him an easily approachable look. I remember him being my favorite by far of anyone in the last two games. However, something told me flattery would come off as misguided so I refrained from telling him.

He looked up at us as if suddenly remembering we were there. He studied us for a moment, then broke into smile. What in the world was there to be smiling about? "Hi, I'm Peeta. You are Evelyn and James I am hoping?"

"Yes Sir," we both responded.

"Let's get something straight- I am not sir or Mr. or anything other than Peeta, understand?" I nodded my head- so he was trying to catch us off guard by being nice or maybe just a last nicety before our death. "Let's get to know each other shall we?" he looked expectantly at both of us but we said nothing. The last thing I wanted was to form more attachments and Lord knows I was already attached to this blonde-haired blue-eyed boy in front of me. I remembering throwing up when I saw how awful he looked on the tv, but that doesn't matter anymore. "Okay, I'll go first then. My name is Peeta Mellark. I won the 74th Hunger Games with my girlfriend Katniss Everdeen. Then I volunteered to be put in the Quarter Quell where I was captured and fed tracker venom to make me confused and violent. Then I was taken back by the Rebels, we won the war and now we are stuck with one last final Hunger Games against my will. I am fairly certain you know most of that right?" we nodded, "But what you may not know is that I voted against the games. I don't want this to happen and I will do everything I can to fight against it."

For a moment I desperately wanted to believe him, I even felt my body start to relax. He was going to fix it- _no he wasn't, I was so stupid. This was just a speech to give you a false sense of security-well two can play that game. "_Now whose next, Evelyn?" I was caught off-guard, I had no clue what to say about myself.

"Umm, well my name is Evelyn. I am 17 years old. Ironically my 18th birthday is next week. Good thing the reaping was today huh?" I tried to laugh, but instead it came out as a choked sob. "I- really have no idea what else to say." I felt so stupid.

"What are some of your skills?"

"I really don't have any fit for an arena. I'm not strong, I don't know how to fight and I really don't want to kill anyone." I figured honesty was my best policy with this group. They mine as well know what they have as a teammate, "but I do learn quickly and I am only 5'2 so I can fit in small places."

"Okay, we can work with that. First thing first is to get you trained with some sort of weapon so you can defend yourself. James?"

"I'm James. I am also 17 years old but not quite so lucky to have my birthday be next week," he sent my a shy smile, "but umm I can lift at least 300 lbs and am pretty athletic. I am also very protective." I had not idea what the last comment meant but I decided to let it be.

"Good," Peeta said, "good. I think between the two of you we will be fine. Now Evelyn, correct me if I am wrong, but you strike me as the type to make friend-"

"Make friends? I am not making friends with people I am going to kill." That had to be the worst idea I had ever heard. If I got to know these people, how could I kill them? I am sure when the time comes down to it and someone is chasing me with an ax I will have no problem fighting them but I was not going to be sweet to who I was killing. No way, no how.

"Well at least we know there is some fight in you- you two need to make allies. Even more importantly you need to learn to rely on each other. Now I am going to give you the next half-hour to get to know one another while I go to talk to your stylists. I am brimming with ideas for tonight."

"Tonight?" James and I looked at Peeta.

"Tonight is costumes. I am thinking something eye-catching because Evelyn there is no way we can pull you off as fierce. I wish we could present you as a couple but you just met. We have got to make the audience fall in love with you," he rambled on.

"Already? This is going so fast, usually there is more time isn't there?"

"There is a rush to get these games started darling, the sooner the better as far as Panem is concerned" he left us alone in the giant room that suddenly seemed much scarier. We sat in silence for a moment, both taking in what we had just heard.

"Let's make a deal," I heard James say next to me. I jumped a mile. He smirked at me, "I promise not to let anything happen to you, if you promise not to let anything happen to me. The way I see it, you and I were paired together for some reason. I think you have the charisma I lack and I have the strength you lack. If we are partners in this, real partners I think we have shot."

"James, I don't know. Listen I am a Gamemaker's daughter. I am so sorry you got stuck with me, but Panem will want me dead-"

"Evelyn, I am a Gamemaker's son-"

"I know all of the Gamemaker's and their families. James I have never met you, trust me I would have remembered." He was striking when you actually got to look at him. Tall, dark curly hair and the most beautiful blue/green eyes I had ever seen.

"Bastard, I was hidden until now of course-"

"Panem will relate to you because you didn't know who your father was-"

"Yes I did, trust me out of the two of us you are going to win over the country." He looked at me like he meant it.

"You have to be crazy to believe that."

"We are dead without hope-"

"We are dead with it-"

"I am not going to let anything happen to us, are you with me?" I was shaking. I was prepared to die and here this kid is asking me to fight for it, "Please?"

"Do you have some pretty girl you are looking to get home to?" I tried to crack a joke.

"Ha- sense of humor I see. No lucky for you the prettiest girl I have ever seen I saw here.' "The pretty blonde in the front row?"

"No, jealous?" This kid was crazy, literally crazy. We had just met and he was expecting me to just fawn all over him. Who cares if he was the best looking guy I had ever seen?

"Now whose being funny?"

"I am being serious- are you with me or not?" the smile dropped off of his face. I thought for a moment. I had nothing to lose fighting for my life. If I could get this kid out alive, maybe that could be my last good deed. Maybe I could pay for some of my father's sins. Maybe I could even pay for some of mine.

"I'm all yours," I smiled at him and was surprised when he yelled and picked me up.

"We are going to win." If only I could be that confident...


End file.
